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The First Degree

Alexis Linkletter, Jac Vanek
The First Degree
Latest episode

662 episodes

  • The First Degree

    DEEP DIVE: THE EPSTEIN FILES, PART 5

    2026/03/05 | 42 mins.
    We’ve been pulled into a few different rabbit holes this week, and it’s yet again a crazy ass ride. First, we look into Epstein’s ties to the Interlochen Center for the Arts summer camp in Michigan, and its infamous “Epstein Lodge”. We also learn the whistleblower’s identity who worked at the jail who posted on 4Chan the night of Epstein’s death (and what he said was pretty damning to say the least!). And lastly, we discuss the fact that the FBI willingly wiped the jail cell tapes to destroy all of the evidence from the night. Not sketchy at all!

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  • The First Degree

    Episode 393: After The Crash

    2026/03/04 | 36 mins.
    On October 29, 2010, a 50-year-old woman is shot at her home in Cresson Township, Pennsylvania. The same day, her college aged son is also involved in a car crash. The tiny community where the family lives is thrown into a state of turmoil as residents grapple with the incomprehensible news. The much-loved school nurse, wife, and mother of two leaves behind a heartbroken family and school community who are left to pick up the pieces. But when the killer’s identity is revealed, the profound sadness and disbelief everyone is experiencing is magnified. Could this tragedy have been avoided? The victim seemed to have everything. But there was one threat she couldn’t contain. One that bubbled and festered under the surface, in her periphery. In episode 393, Jac and Alexis detail the devastating case of Sharon Choros, and how those who appear to have it all can be more at risk of violence and heartbreak than we think.

    🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

    patreon.com/thefirstdegree

    📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

    🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

    👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

    📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com
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  • The First Degree

    DEEP DIVE: THE EPSTEIN FILES, PART 4

    2026/02/26 | 44 mins.
    Another week of chipping away at the iceberg. Today we’re diving into the Gislaine sighting in Canada, Bill Gates admitting to affairs with two Russian women, Trump releasing the alien files (anything but release the Epstein files we guess), Epstein’s FedEx account being used after his death, and apparently Epstein’s autopsy findings (apparently the dude can grow new body parts?). Tin foil hats ON.

    🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

    patreon.com/thefirstdegree

    📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

    🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

    👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

    📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com
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  • The First Degree

    Episode 392: The Au Pair Catfish

    2026/02/25 | 1h 1 mins.
    On a quiet February morning in an upscale Virginia suburb, a 911 call shattered the quiet. An au pair reported an intruder. A federal agent said he fired his weapon to protect his family. By sunrise, two people had lost their lives. At first, it sounded like a tragic act: a heroic husband trying to protect his wife, Christine. But as investigators began pulling at the threads, the story started to unravel.In episode 392 of The First Degree, Jac and Alexis walk you through the double murder that gripped northern Virginia — and the arrogance, betrayal, and devastating choices that left a child without her mother and two families forever changed.

    🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

    patreon.com/thefirstdegree

    📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

    🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

    👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

    📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com
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  • The First Degree

    TFD Special Episode: Introducing The Knife

    2026/02/20 | 1h 12 mins.
    Firsties, we are so excited to introduce you to an amazing true crime podcast hosted by some new friends to The First Degree, Hannah Smith and Patia Eaton. The Knife is a journalistic, true crime podcast with immersive, narrative interview episodes and additional episodes where producers and hosts Hannah Smith and Patia Eaton tell eachother a crime story. Hannah and Patia formerly produced The Opportunist before launching The Knife in 2025.We have become huge fans and we know you'll love them too. Find them whenever you listen to podcasts.

    🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

    patreon.com/thefirstdegree

    📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

    🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

    👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

    📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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About The First Degree

Do you ever wonder what it’s like to be friends with a murderer? Or escape a kidnapping? Or have a father who was a serial killer? Join Jac Vanek and Alexis Linkletter on a chilling ride into the darkest corners of your worst nightmares. Murders, cults, kidnappings, and conspiracies—all told through the eyes of a guest who is one degree of separation from the story itself. From infamous serial killers to the unbelievable unknown murder in your own backyard, The First Degree delivers a new perspective to the already fascinating true crime landscape. And who knows... you may be our next guest. (Plus, join them every Thursday for Killing Time, the light-hearted, true crime-adjacent aftershow!)
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